


it's all hidden in your head

by butterflybooks



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 15:12:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflybooks/pseuds/butterflybooks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville Longbottom has had three encounters with the Sorting Hat.</p><p>None of them were pleasant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's all hidden in your head

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the information on Pottermore about Neville's sorting.

Neville Longbottom has had three encounters with the Sorting Hat.

None of them were pleasant.

 

*

 

First, a question: why did the Sorting Hat place Neville in Gryffindor?

Why, because he asked it not to, of course.

 

*

 

Neville is an eleven year old boy. He’s standing in the Great Hall for the very first time; he can see his classmates staring in awe at the floating candles, the tables, the sheer scale of it all…

He would probably enjoy it more if he didn’t feel like he was about to throw up.

His stomach’s churning; it’s his first time away from home. The home that never felt like a home until it wasn’t. He’s terrified of people watching him, he’s terrified of failing in everything (the only magic he’s ever managed to perform is not dying when dropped out of a window; what’s the chance that’s on the curriculum?), he’s terrified of the looks he’ll get from the teachers when they hears his name – more scared of the expectations that come with it.

Scared, scared, scared.

Certainly not a Gryffindor, he thinks to himself.

He’d be a fool if he’d never thought about what house he’d be in. He categorically does not want Slytherin (Lestrange, He-who-must-not-be-named, Crouch, Malfoy, bad, bad, bad, bad). He knows he won’t get Ravenclaw. Both his parents were in Gryffindor (it would make his Grandmother proud); he doesn’t have a chance of getting in there.

He wants Hufflepuff. (I’ll take the lot).

His name is called by the severe looking woman at the stool. He can’t remember her name, everything’s gone blank and there’s something he’s supposed to be doing now- ah, yes, walking.

He’s surprised his legs carry him that far but he arrives at the stool and sits, only getting a moment before the Hat comes down on his head – and his world is dark.

“Ah,” says the Hat – does the hat talk? It’s inside his head. “Neville Longbottom, eh?”

He doesn’t like how it says his name, like it knows him, like it sees to his core. Which, he supposes, it does.

(He’s still terrified).

“I see you want Hufflepuff.”

Neville nods internally and fiercely. Can it be this easy?

The Hat’s next words put an end to that idea. 

“But you are not a Hufflepuff.”

Merlin, not Slytherin.

The Hat laughs, “You certainly do not have it in you to be a Slytherin… The choice is obvious you see, Gryffindor.”

For a moment Neville can’t believe what he’s heard, but the hat hasn’t said it out loud yet. 

No, no. He thinks. I’m not brave. I’m not strong. I’m not – and because he’s thinking he can’t keep it from slipping out – my father.

“Ah. I see.”

Neville’s palms are sweating, gripping the stool beneath him. He’s thankful now that he can’t see past the Hat. He doesn’t think the others’ sortings were this long.

“No,” the Hat says. “You’re just being difficult.”

You’re wrong, Neville thinks. I’m not a Gryffindor. That can’t be- no.

“I’m never wrong.” Replies the Hat, with airy confidence.

Neville finds himself disliking the Hat. And then promptly panics because he’s sure it can tell.

“You see,” the Hat continues. “You don’t want to be a Hufflepuff. You just don’t want any of the other houses. But you are a Gryffindor, do you see?”

No, Neville thinks.

The Hat sighs. “Well Ravenclaw is certainly out of the question.”

Neville thinks that he knew that but it was also a bit uncalled for.

“You are afraid of your family’s legacy, because you think you can’t measure up. But if I place you in any other house you will never believe you can.”

I’m not my father, Neville thinks again, stubbornly. If there is one fact he is sure of, it is this one.

“No,” the Hat says. “You are not. But what you need to learn is that you don’t need to be. GRYFFINDOR!”

Half of him’s relieved and half of him is still in shock but every single part of him wants to get off the stool.

It’s probably why he forgets he’s still wearing the Hat.

 

*

 

Years later, Harry will tell the story of his sorting. He will say that the Hat takes your choice into account. Neville will say that that’s bullshit.

 

*

 

The second time he encounters the Hat is whilst stealing Godric Gryffindor’s sword from Snape’s office (which is really Dumbledore’s in his mind and always will be). It is - he acknowledges to himself - a bloody stupid thing to do, to place a hat on your head in the midst of stealing a precious artefact from the office currently owned by the man enforcing the horrific regime presently in place at Hogwarts. But, well, Neville was never a Ravenclaw after all. They're looking for the sword and have split up throughout the office (of course it's not in the glass case; that would make this far too easy). Neville's hand skates across the shelf, silently praying for one of the others to find it, and fast, he's never been good at finding things. His fingers reach folds of fabric and he finds himself face to face (is that right? It has a kind of face after all) with the Sorting Hat.

When reasoning it out to himself, Neville will say that he thought the Hat might have guidance for them, might know where the sword is - might even give it to them. But that is not the reason.

The reason is... 

You don't need to be

He's lost and he's alone and he's not his father and- he'd really like someone to tell him that's OK. Putting your emotional hopes onto a sentient piece of headwear was probably never going to end well.

He puts the Hat on. He thinks he catches it going through its rhyme for the next year.

"Hello, Neville Longbottom," it greets, sounding both affronted and threatening. “What brings you here?”

Neville does not know if it’s being sarcastic or obtuse.

The Hat sighs and he could do with a little less exasperation right now, actually.

You said I had to be in Gryffindor, he thinks. Why?

“I explained that. My judgements have never been wrong.”

Neville thinks: liar. The Hat ignores him. 

“You wanted to be in Hufflepuff because you thought it was a bad house. The house of mediocrity.”

Neville flinches, but can’t disagree.

“It isn’t. But that’s irrelevant. You are not a Hufflepuff, because you needed to be a Gryffindor to see that you weren’t a disappointment.”

Neville thinks that it’s hardly helped.

“Perhaps not yet. But one day there will be a day when you are very glad that I placed you in Gryffindor house.”

“Neville!” Neville hears Ginny’s hissed voice and hurriedly shoves the hat off his head. She gives him a funny look, but gestures behind a bookshelf. She must have found the sword. He casts one last glance back at the hat.

*

Bloody stupid thing to do, he berates himself later. He didn’t actually get them caught but he could have done. They get caught anyway. Of course.

Neville wakes up in the middle of the night years later for seemingly no reason and knows exactly what the Hat was trying to tell him. He almost smiles.

*

The third time is the one that’ll make it into the History books.

He’s stood up to Voldemort and the Hat is on his head. It is on fire.

Well, he thinks, there you go.

The Hat whispers in his ear: “Told you so,” and drops the sword of Godric Gryffindor on his head. 

Moments later he has slain Nagini and in the ensuing fight, he puts out the flames on the Hat and says to it: “Like hell you foresaw that.”

A rustle of fabric or a smile. It’s hard to tell.

*

So he’s a Gryffindor. And that doesn’t make him the same as his father. But it doesn’t make him worse. It isn’t worse or better than Hufflepuff, necessarily. But the Hat was right – in all its patronising glory – he is, and he is grateful.

It just is, which – he supposes – is sort of the point.


End file.
